Electric welding appliance



R, P. LA FORTE.

ELECTRIC WELDING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

FIG. 1.-

ATTORNEY a m v m m H m x u n f 5 6:3 3 u a w 0 6 5 6 ll I- 6 N n l W TL 0 J RALPH 1?. LA FORTE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC WELDING- APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed December 3, 1919. Serial No. 342,123.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH LA Poem, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Welding Appliances, of which improvement the following is a specification,

My invention relates to means for facihtating the operation of electric welding,

and its object is to provide an appliance whereby the work may be more safely, speedily, and inexpensively performed, the position of welds properly located in repetitive work, and less experienced operators be required than under the conditions heretofore and now obtaining.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings: Figural is an end view, in elevation, of an electric welding appliance, illustrating an application of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section on the line a a of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a rear side view, partly in section, on the line Z) Z) of Fig. 5; Fig. 4, a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 0 c of Fig. 3: Fig. 5, a plan view of the insulator; and, Fig. 6, a view, partly in elevation, and partly in section, of the socket bushing.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, I provide a sheet metal case or box, 1, which is open at its bottom, and has downwardly projecting guide lugs, 1 formed at the bottoms of its end walls. A side light shield 1 is attached to one of the side walls 0 the case, and end light shields, 1, to the end walls.

An open ended cupola, 2, of substantially rectangular section, is connected to, and forms an extension of, the top of the case, the cupola being preferably inclined, in a vertical plane, as shown, at such an angle as will be adapted to bring the electric arc in the line of vision of the operators eye, when the work is in a waist-high position. The principal function of the cupola is to increase the distance from the arc to the colored glasses through which it is observed, in order to avoid spotting the inner glass by sparks from the electrode, and thereby obscuring the operators vision, and it also serves to increase the heat radiating surface of the case, and, by so doing, to keep down the temperature.

A glass holder, 3, which is detachably connected to the upper end of the cupola, by a hook, 3 serves as a receptacle for glass plates, 4, which are of color suitable to protect the eyes of the operator from the injurious effect of ultra-violet and infra-red rays. Ventilators, 5, on the sides of the cupola, carry away the gases developed in the welding operation, preventing them from reaching the inner glass plate, and obscuring the vision, and also serve to increase the heat radiating surface. A handle, 6, which, is attached to one end of the case and to the cupola, enables the appliance .to be adjusted in, and removed from, operative position, as from time to time required.

An insulator, 7, which is a block of suitable non-conducting material, is connected detachably to the case, by bolts, 7, and a metallic socket, S, is secured to the top of v the insulator, by bolts, 8, a central passage being formed in said socket, through which the welding wire electrode, A, passes, with proper clearance. The socket, 8, is drilled horizontally to form therein a chamber, 8", the outer end of which is tapped for the engagement of a plug, 9. The socket may be fitted with thumb screws, to allow mechanical feeding of the welding wire.

The welding wire, A, passes through a bushing, 10, having a tapered end, which is screwed into the socket, and the welding wire is pressed against the inside of the bushing, by a plunger, 11, and spring, 12, fitted in the chamber, 8 of the socket, and insulated therefrom, by a varnished cambric tube, 13. The plug, 9, bears on the spring, 12, through the intermediation of a fiber washer, 14, by which it is insulated from the spring and plunger, and acts as a connection between the source of current and the socket, through a central bore, 9, and set screws, 9 and 9. The bushing, 10, serves as a guide for the welding wire electrode, and also protects the insulator from burning when the hot welding wire is pulled through it. By making the bushing taper ing at its upper end and tapering the opening in the socket through which the welding wire passes, a universal movement of the latter may be effected.

While the application of the device is in no wise limited to the welding of superheater pipe supports, for the performance of which it was originally more particularly designed, its operation will be under- 9 and the casc,'1, is placed on the supporting band, B, and slid so as to bring the lugs, 1*, against edges of the band. The welding wire electrode is then passed through the socket and insulator, and the operator holds the case in one hand, by the handle, 6, and

with the other, manipulates the welding wire through the sliding contact, pushing it so as to make contact with the pipe, and drawing it back, approximately one eighth of an inch, to form the arc, and as it melts off, it is fed in by hand. When the weld is completed,

by forming a button on one side of the pipe supporting band, the case is slid to the o posite side, bringing the lugs, 1, against 't 1e other side of the band, and the welding operation is repeated.

In the ordinary electric welding practice, the electrode is located in a holder which is connected to the source ofcurrent, and mani ulated by the operator, who Wears a he met, and observes they work through glasses therein, of suitable color, which act as eye pieces. The-arc is not inclosed, and is consequently a source of danger to persons in the vicinity of the operation, by reason of its injurious effect on the eyes. This objection is eliminated by my invention, as the case covers the arc, while the weld is being made, thus, cutting off the injurious light rays.

Among the advantages of my invention, the following may be enumerated. .The work is done under the cover of a case, giving protection to workmen near to it, and passers-by, from injurious rays of light; and

the welding operation may be safely per-' formed in crowded quarters or in the open street. A steady and positive support for the wire is provided, enabling the operator. to maintain a constant length of arc, and minimizing personal and fatigue factors, thus effecting a stronger and more ductile weld. The operator is relieved from the helmet heretofore used, which tendsto increase comfort and speed, and less 'experienced help may be availed of. In special repetitive work, the case will act as a jig for locating welds, and, in the welding operation, the case and cupola becomes filled with an iron vapor which drives out the air, permitting the weld to be made more durable, by reason of being done under conditions which minimize or eliminate the passage of oxygen or nitrogen into the welding metal.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:'

1. In an electric welding appliance, the combination of an open bottomed case; a cupola, extending above the top thereof; one or more glass pieces, carried by said cupola; side and end light shields fixed to the case; and means for enabling a welding wire to be moved into and out of the case.

2. In an electric welding appliance, the combination of an open bottomed case; lugs fixed thereto and affording bearings for the work; a cupola extending above the top of the case; one or more glass eye pieces, carried by said cupola; and means for enabling a welding wire to be moved into and out of the case.

3. In an electric welding appliance, the combination of an open bottomed case; a cupola extending above the'top thereof; one or more glass eye pieces, carried by said cupola; an insulator, connected to the case and having a passage for a welding wire; a socket, connected to'the case and adjoining the insulator, said socket also having a passage for a welding wire; means for clamping a welding wire in the socket; and means for connecting an electrode to the socket.

4;. In an electric welding appliance, the combination of an open bottomed case; a cupola extending above the top thereof; one or more glass eye pieces, carried by said cupola; an insulator, connected to'the case and having a passage for a welding wire; a socket connected to the case and adjoining the insulator; a bushing attached to the socket and adapted for the passage through it of a welding wire; a spring actuated plunger, movable transversely to the passage of thebushing; a screw plug, engaging the bushing and adapted to exert pressure on the plunger spring; an lnsulating medium interposed between said spring and said plug; and means for connecting an electrode to said plug. RALPH P. LA PORTE.

Witnesses:

E. J. STEWART, W. S. OBnmrr. 

